


A Hidden Gem

by Marcantony3



Series: Royal Family Pains [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Jon Snow Can Sing?, Jon Snow Needs a Hug, Jon Snow is Not Called Aegon, Jon Snow is a Targaryen, Modern Royalty, Modern Westeros, POV Jon Snow, POV Rhaegar Targaryen, R Plus L Equals J, Secret parentage, Westerosi Politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24920803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marcantony3/pseuds/Marcantony3
Summary: The Crown is not as popular as it has been in the past. Several scandals by the Targaryen princes have given a boost to the anti-monarchy movement that is sweeping the country and King Rhaegar is facing a huge challenge.Jon Snow has gone his entire life without knowing who us father is and he is not in a rush to find out, however secrets have always had a tendency of being uncovered when you least expect it and turn your world upside down.What will the future hold for Jon as he tries his best to remain hidden in the North, even when he gets cast into the spotlight?Will Jon accept his fate, and possibly give up what makes him happy?Can he provide the breath of fresh air that the Crown desperately needs?Will Rhaegar be able to guide his family through uncertain times?We will discover the answers as this story unfolds.
Relationships: Elia Martell/Rhaegar Targaryen, Jon Snow & Sansa Stark, Jon Snow/Sansa Stark, Jon Snow/Sansa Stark (Eventual), Lyanna Stark/Rhaegar Targaryen (past), Sansa Stark/Joffrey Baratheon (For Plot only)
Series: Royal Family Pains [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1803436
Comments: 90
Kudos: 177





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello to all!  
> This is my first foray into the Jonsa universe and I thought I would try my hand with the fascinating world of modern royalty.  
> This story is partly inspired by Totally Clueless, Embers and Battle of the Targaryens - wonderful modern royalty fics that are good reads.
> 
> Hope you enjoy

JON POV

The buzzing of the fluorescent lights in the waiting area seemed to grow louder with each passing moment as Jon waited to be called into the testing room. Jon had always felt uneasy going to medical facilities, stemming from all of the turbulent times that he spent in them as his mother was fighting for her life.

His mother had gotten sick after one of her expeditions in the lands of the True North beyond the Wall and no-one could figure out how to heal her. She had kept her sickness from Jon for much of his teen years and had only told him the truth after her condition had worsened and she became terminal.

While many of his friends were spending their college life partying and stressing about grades and other college related troubles, Jon had been splitting his time between his classes and the medical facility that housed his mother. During his 4 years of college he came to know more about the people that worked at the facility than the people that were in his classes or that lived in his dormitory.

He spent many nights curled up in chair in with his textbooks next to his mother’s bed and would often awake the next morning to find her smiling down at him. Those little moments filled his life with some joy during the dark days that preceded his mother’s passing. She battled against her sickness and held on longer than the doctors had thought possible, like the fighter she had always been.

She raised him by herself and made sure he never went without what he needed to get through life, and he loved her for it. As a single mother she often had to fight against the prejudices that came with that status and she earned her nickname the She-Wolf due to her ferocity in defending her right to raise her son and provide for him as she saw fit. People came to learn the hard way that Lyanna Stark was not one to be trifled with when it came to her family and that drive encouraged Jon to make the most of his education so that he could make something of his adult life. Growing up, he had wanted to make sure that he could support his mother, ensuring that she could have a peaceful life whenever she decided to retire and live a quiet life away from her expeditions. His priorities had changed with her illness and he had found himself wanting to let his mother see that he would be ok going forward when it was just him.

His full scholarship to White Harbor University was transferred to Wintertown University so that he could be close to home as his mother’s condition worsened and as fate would have it, shortly after his graduation, his mother finally passed away. It was as if she was holding on just for that moment and his graduation became a bittersweet moment in Jon’s life.

During those final years, Jon had come to appreciate the only family that his mother had ever claimed - the Starks. They made him part of their pack and treated him as one of their own, just like the wolves on their family crest had been famed for. His mother was Ned Stark's adopted sister and Ned treated them like true Starks even though they didn’t share any blood. Lyanna Stark was part of the pack and although Jon didn’t share the same last name he was always considered a Stark. Robb and Arya and later on Sansa regarded him as their brother and brokered no slights against him growing up.

They were responsible for him not ending up in a sick bed himself as he made his way through college, each of them making sure he had enough food and companionship to survive those stressful times. After his mother’s passing, Ned Stark had offered him a job with the Starks but at that time everything about the North was too painful. Everywhere he looked he could see his mother’s face, so he politely declined and enlisted in Planetos Peacekeeping Corps – an army dedicated to protecting the peace and helping those that needed it wherever they may reside. He had found a purpose and a drive during the 3 years that he had spent as a soldier and quickly advance to the prestigious rank of Ranger – a rank that allowed him to become a leader of his own unit – and inevitably led to him making his first true friends apart from the Starks since he had graduated High School. Life in the army was not dull and his unit saw their fair share of action.

Their first major engagement - the Free Folk uprising- had led to a brief return to the North as Free Folk fighters conducted a series of raids and bombings in the Northern territories that destroyed many historical sights and caused much hardship for people on both sides of the Wall. Jon’s unit was one of many that led the counterattacks and suppressed the more aggressive elements of the Free Folk. In fact, it was Jon’s knowledge of the lands beyond the Wall, knowledge he had gained at the side of his mother, that allowed Jon’s unit to successfully track and capture the leaders of the Free Folk. This eventually led to the end of the conflict and subsequent peace talks that led to the North and the Free Folk ceasing all hostilities and establishing joint control of the Wall, thereby ensuring the free flow of people, food and items of trade from both sides of the Wall.

Their last engagement before Jon’s tour of duty came to an end was the attempted military coup in Meereen. The military in Meereen wanted paint themselves as the voice of the people and compared themselves to slaves that needed to cast down their oppressors. The coup was long and bloody and Jon had received a few injuries while leading a rescue mission to extract a member of Westeros’ royal family – Princess Daenerys Targaryen – who was in Meereen on a goodwill mission at the time of the coup.

The princess had been targeted for kidnapping to force the King of Westeros to back the forces seeking to overthrow the government. The plan had been to hold her hostage and force Westeros to send troops to aid the rebels, otherwise the princess would have suffered a gruesome fate. Jon’s unit had stealthily infiltrated the pyramid complex that was being occupied by the rebel forces, fought throw multiple opposition forces and extracted the princess before the main rebel forces had even realized that anything was wrong. By the time the rebels stormed the pyramid the princess was safely on a transport heading back to Westeros.

The coup was quickly quashed after the King sent troops to aid in the fight while Jon and his unit were in recovery from the injuries that they had sustained. His unit were hailed as heroes and Jon became known as White Wolf for the wolf-like ferocity he had fought with to get to the princess and rescue her. An iconic photo was taken on that day of a bloodied Jon Snow carrying the princess to safety in his arms while explosions took place in the background.

That mission and its success was the first time that Jon had felt like he had accomplished something good since his mother had passed, even though he had conducted the mission without permission from his superiors. When he had been asked why he had made the call to perform the rescue mission he simply said that it was because it was the right thing to do and his mother had always taught him to do whatever was right, no matter the cost.

Jon decided to return the North after his tour was completed and decided to follow in his mother’s footsteps and be an explorer to uncover the hidden secrets in the North. His time in the army and college degree – a joint major of Archaeology and Political Science – had allowed him to get a posting at the Wall overseeing expeditions and uncovering artefacts thought lost to time. It was at the Wall that he met another of his dear friends – Sam Tarly – the man who was running the medical facility that Jon was now stuck in, recollecting some less than pleasant memories from his past.

For Jon places like this always seemed too bright, too clean, and always gave off a sense of false security, as if everything would be ok for the sick and suffering patients that lay inside the various rooms. Jon knew from first-hand experience that despite their pristine and sometimes peaceful appearances, many dark things occurred inside the walls of these medical facilities.

This time however he was here to do a favor for Sam. Sam needed volunteers to help with a genetics project that he was conducting at the Castle Black research facility. The project was the final part of his Doctorate and was designed to prove that the Free Folk and Northmen had common ancestors, despite living on opposite sides of the Wall. The project could actually go a long way towards ensuring that conflict never returned to the North and was welcomed by many people on both sides of the Wall. The project was being supervised by Doctor Aemon Targaryen, another person that Jon was fond of, as he had provided Jon with lots of excellent advice when he came to the Wall for the first time. Jon came to regard Aemon as almost a grandfather type figure and he was certain that if he had never met Aemon he would probably have gone mad due to the solitude at the Wall.

Jon’s thoughts were interrupted by a familiar soft hand gripping his own hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, dragging him back from his dark thoughts. As he looked to the owner of the hand he was met with the concerned gaze of another dear friend. Her blue eyes sought out his and studied him for a moment before asking

“Are you ok Jon? You seem quieter than normal.”

“I’ve been better Sansa. It’s just that being here is bring up some unpleasant memories”

The grip on his hand tightened, as if she were trying to squeeze all of the dark thoughts out from him.

“I’m sure Sam will understand if you want to leave” she whispered.

Jon shook his head and responded.

“No, I couldn’t do that to Sam. This is important to him and I gave him my word”

“Ok” she said. “I’m here for you as well if you need anything”

Jon gave her a smile and nodded as she released his hand after giving it one final squeeze.The silence resumed as they both waited their turn to give blood samples that Sam would use to generate his results.

That was the strength of their friendship. They did not need to speak to convey their feelings and support for each other. They knew each other well enough at this point in their lives that silence was never uncomfortable or overbearing. They were each other’s anchor and Jon wouldn’t have it any other way.

They weren’t always that close growing up but that all changed when his mother’s illness became common knowledge. Sansa became a surprising source of comfort during the following years, supplying food or just keeping him company during the many sleepless nights that he endured whenever he stayed over at the Stark House while his mother was confined to her sick bed. Sansa was always a night owl and so they often spent many nights in the living room watching some random movie, keeping each other company until sleep eventually claimed them both. He recalled being teased mercilessly by Arya and Robb many times when he and Sansa were found curled up together on the couch the following morning. It was during that time that their friendship grew and blossomed to what it is today and now Sansa was one of his best friends and, one who had developed the uncanny ability to always know exactly he needed. Jon had found that he too had gotten pretty good at reading her as well, and that made him one of the few people that she felt that she could be completely herself when they hung out.

They remained in touch even during his time in the army. She and Arya were the first to call him after the infamous picture of him and Princess came out in the press. They had yelled at him for putting himself in danger but had also praised him for acting like one of those knights of old that always saved the princess. Sansa was one of the first persons that he told about is return to Westeros and his new job and when Jon exited the airport she was there waiting for him, holding up a sign that had ‘White Wolf’ written out in big letters. He hadn’t been expecting such a greeting and it definitely took him by surprise. Some people that were near him commented that his girlfriend was such a sweetheart to greet him like that. It took a moment for Jon to realize that they were talking about Sansa and he found that he had no response to that as a blush crept across his face. That car ride home was spent catching up and exchanging some stories about the years that they had spent apart and so, by the time that they had reached their destination, it was as if Jon had never left. Jon and Sansa were back in sync once again.

In the 2 years that preceded the start of Sam's project, they had helped each other get through painful breakups and had briefly shared an apartment when she had returned from the Vale after a messy break-up with Harrold Hardyng, with nothing but the clothes on her back. She had been too embarrassed to return to Winterfell and Jon took her in without hesitation. Jon had rounded up some of his newfound Free Folk friends and took a trip to the Vale to retrieve her stuff and left Harry with a less than subtle warning to stay away from Sansa. Jon recalled fondly how Harry fled from the apartment when Tormund started to growl at him. That was definitely the highlight of the trip. Sansa was stunned when she came home and found all of her stuff in her room and wrapped Jon in a massive hug, as tears of joy streamed down her face in appreciation for Jon going to such lengths for her. She had called him her very own Prince Charming and surprised him with his favorite meal the next day.

Now she was here with him at Sam’s makeshift research facility, donating samples even though she didn’t like needles. She refused to leave his side until they were done. She all but dragged him back to Winterfell just to make sure he was alright and out of his dark mood.

“We are going out tonight with everyone” she stated, as she served them both some lemon cakes in the kitchen.

“Are we?” he replied with a furrowed brow. “I don’t recall getting that memo”

Sansa scowled at him playfully before wagging her finger at him.

“Your attendance is mandatory, Jon Snow” she scolded in a playful tone.

“You need to have fun after being so somber today and what could be more fun than a night out, especially with the promise of karaoke” she added with a flourish.

“You had me up until Karaoke” Jon said before he took a bite out of his own lemon cake slice.

“I would even put up with Joffrey once there is enough alcohol, but Joffrey and Karaoke is a bit much”

Jon had always been wary of her new boyfriend – Joffrey Baratheon. Sansa’s father and Joffrey’s father were old friends and they set up their kids as a means of keeping the bonds between their two families strong. Jon had a low tolerance for Joffrey’s antics, the man was arrogant and loved to flash his wealth wherever he went and looked down on Jon for being a Snow. Of course he was always the perfect gentleman towards Sansa and treated her well, so Jon bit his tongue most of the time they hung out as a group. Joffrey had a tendency to make underhanded comments towards himself or anyone who he deemed below his station. Sansa knew that he and Joffrey did not get along despite all of her efforts to bridge the gaps.

Joffrey and Sansa were active figures on social media and loved to be the center of attention. They often posted many messages with political undertones, as the Starks and Baratheons were amongst the oldest of the historical political families. Recently many of Joffrey’s recent posts had taken on a heavy anti-monarchy tone and that was always an debate that Jon vowed to keep away from.

Westeros had seven recognized states, each of which were run by Wardens. These Wardens were chosen democratically but the overall governance of the country was still done by a monarchy – The Targaryen royal family. The Targaryens ruled Westeros for hundreds of years and were responsible for creating the infrastructure for most of the country, uniting what was once 7 independent, waring territories into one unified country.

The Royal family has survived several rebellions and civil wars and through it all, they had maintained their hold on the leadership of the country. The royal family is highly respected and revered by elder generation, but now influential people like Joffrey were heading up a movement amongst the younger generation to curtail the power of the Crown - arguing that the monarchy was an antiquated concept and had no place in the modernized society of the 21st century. Sansa was not normally so outspoken in public, but she had become taken with Joffrey and his cause and was throwing her support as a Stark behind his endeavors. She was also no stranger to posting her own anti-monarchy propaganda.

The anti-monarchy movement was one of the few things that he and Sansa had ever disagreed on. She had tried to bring him over to her line of thinking but Jon was not convinced. The Crown ran many foundations and schemes geared towards improving the lives of the smallfolk and Jon himself had benefited from these schemes, through his college scholarship. He had pointed out that none of the traditional great families, especially the Baratheons, had done as much as the Crown for the smallfolk, of which he was one. Sansa could not argue against that fact and they agreed to disagree on that topic and to never let that issue come between them. Jon was very much a private figure with minimal social media presence and he was quite fine staying away from the spotlight that always seemed to follow her and Joffrey.

That need to always be in the spotlight was one of the reasons that he preferred to spend as little time as possible with Joffrey. The young Baratheon heir loved to be the center of attention, whether it was social media or in a crowd and to Jon it always seemed staged and done to only make Joffrey look good.

The only thing he disliked more than Joffrey was karaoke.

“Pleasssseee Jooonnn” she begged as she came around the counter to stand in front of him.

Jon refused to look up from his now empty plate of lemon cakes. He knew that if he did he would fall into her trap and submit to her demands.

“I’ll buy all of your drinks” she said as she cupped his face and raised it so that he had to look into her eyes.

Those deep blue eyes and pouting expression that should be classified as illegal weapons, broke his resolve once again. He could never say no to a pleading, pouting Sansa Stark.

“Fine” he huffed out. “I’ll come”

She squealed in delight and hugged him before bringing out her phone to fire off some messages.

Jon regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

As if sensing his silent question, she proceeded to explain her actions. 

“Robb promised to cover our tab. I am just reminding him not to forget his wallet tonight.”

“Cover our tab? Why would he agree to do that when I didn’t even know I was coming out tonight until just now?” he queried

Sansa regarded him with a smirk before responding.

“Because he bet me that I couldn’t get you to come if you knew there was Karaoke”

Jon felt his jaw drop at her admission.

“Did you use lemon cakes and your patented Sansa Stark pout on me to win a bet?”

"Aye” she replied with a chuckle before dashing out of the room as Jon flung a kitchen towel at her.

“That was sneaky Miss Stark. Friends don’t use their magical pouts on other friends to win a bet!” he shouted to her retreating figure. All he got on reply was a bout of laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang has their night out and we meet Joffrey for the first time.  
> We see a side of Jon that has not been seen before, in part thanks to a sneaky Sansa.  
> Turns out Jon Snow knows something after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Some mild language is in this chapter

Jon felt like banging his head on the table that his friends and Joffrey, were now gathered around. In true Joffrey fashion he had inserted himself into every conversation and eventually swung it to be all about him. His less than subtle barbs against the more financially challenged members in their party had gone mostly unnoticed except by Jon and, judging by the occasional grimace on Sansa’s face, her as well.

The man turned up at the pub in an ensemble that would be for fitting for an outing on a celebrity yacht party. Jon doubted that the man was wearing anything that would be found in a retail store, especially after Sam had mentioned to him that the watch that Joffrey was wearing was a similar one to the watch that he had wanted to buy as a birthday gift for his brother – Dickon, until he saw the price tag. Sam decided that forgoing a year’s worth of rent money was a bit much, even for his own brother. Jon had nearly choked on his drink when Sam told him the price. Joffrey was trying his hardest to make sure that the lights inside the pub caught the diamonds on the watch face and make them sparkle to catch everyone’s attention.

Normally, the other members of their group would have been perturbed by Joffrey’s antics, but tonight they were probably enjoying their drinks too much to care, especially since Joffrey had decided to flaunt his fortune by purchasing bottles of the most expensive wine for their table. The price for their group, however, was to endure his endless prattling about himself.

What was supposed to be an enjoyable night out away from their troubles turned into another recruiting pitch by Joffrey for his pet project, and the man spouted off his propaganda as if he were reading from a script.

“The Crown is no better than a dictatorship. Why should one family control the destiny of the entire country? Why should they have that much power? We are not sheep and should be allowed to decide how that power is applied and who should have it” Joffrey ranted.

The debate had flared up at their table after a news story broke about yet another scandal surrounding the Crown Prince - Aegon Targaryen. The heir to the Iron Throne was always in the news and unlike his sister – Princess Rhaenys or the King’s sister – Princess Daenerys, his headline grabbing exploits were seldom as positive and uplifting as those of the princesses.

Jon suspected that one of the main motivations behind Joffrey’s ministrations was that the Baratheons were one of the leading political powers in the realm and if the monarchy was ever abolished then his family would be in pole position to oversee the affairs of the country. The man certainly carried himself as if her were actually a prince – always wanting people to pander to him. It was rumored that he had gotten his family to buy a restaurant and fire all of the workers just because a waiter had spilled water on his new designer shoes. Of course that was never proven.

“The Crown provides stability and a strong leadership, which benefits the economy” argued Sam. “The financial and political stability provided by the Crown is what makes Westeros a strong force in the world!”

Joffrey regarded Sam as if he were a simpleton.

“Are you willing to bet the future on the whims of a single person? How stable do you think the country will be if Viserys or Aegon become King?” he added with a sneer.

“The Crown has diminished in stature since the days of Aerys and his mad exploits. Putting the power in the hands of the people is the only way to make Westeros great again. All the wealth hoarded by the Crown should be seized and used to serve a greater cause.”

“You make it seem like the Crown has done nothing good for the people” said Robb.

“They have done more for the people than certain families who we shall not mention.”

That last bit was a clear dig at the Baratheon’s poor track record with charitable organizations. The Baratheons preferred to acquire wealth and spend it on themselves, Joffrey’s brand-new designer clothes that he was currently showing off, a prime example of how his family preferred to use their wealth.

An article that was published a few years back had noted that, out of all of the families that currently held the title of Warden, the Baratheons and the Lannisters were the only ones that did not contribute to a single charity in Westeros.

“Those charities are merely a front to trick the people into believing that the Crown is altruistic. You cannot cure poverty by giving away money and food. You need to put those lazy bums to work, so that they can buy their own food” said Joffrey with a dismissive shrug, eliciting a glare from Robb.

Jon shot Sansa a look that begged her to make it stop.

“Ok guys. How about we take a timeout.” She interjected before Joffrey and Robb could come to blows. “More drinking, less arguing!” She added as she motioned for Joffrey to finish his glass of wine.

“I second that!” added Robb as he jumped up from the table, dragging Jon and Sam with him, effectively ending the debate.

Jon exhaled a sigh of relief as he made his way towards the bar.

“I am not drunk enough to listen to him any longer!” Jon said after placing their drinks order.

“Remind me again why we can’t punch him?” mused Robb

“Because your sister will probably murder you if you ruin her happy mood tonight” Jon replied.

“Even if that happiness is partly due to a cunt” he added with a nod towards Joffrey.

Jon turned to Sam and saw his friend making longing glances at the bartender, Gilly. Sam’s attempts at being subtle were not successful as Gilly took to winking at Sam, making the man turn bright red each time.

“Sam, do me favor” Jon said as he regarded the exchange.

“Sure Jon, what is it?” he said hesitantly

“After you ask Gilly out on a date, could you focus your genius mind on finding a cure for people like Joffrey?”

“A cure?” asked Robb as Sam began to sputter and deny his crush on Gilly.

“Yes Robb, a cure” said Jon. “A cure for being a cunt.”

The trio broke down in laughter at Jon’s jape.

That laughter was soon interrupted as the Karaoke operator – DJ Pyp, began speaking on the mic. Jon turned to the small stage and saw a smirking Sansa making her way from the stage back to their table. Jon was suddenly wary of Sansa and her notorious sneaky plots.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls…” Pyp began “You know what time it is?”

There was a few cheers and muted responses of ‘No’ coming from the crowd.

“It’s time for the main event” Pyp said, slowly hyping up the crowd as the sound system began playing a simulated ticking of a clock.

“Tonight we will make someone famous…or infamous” he added as the big screen next to the small stage came to life.

Peals of laughter broke out amongst the crowd as Pyp fired up the big screen to show images of previous participants of his Karaoke sessions, some captured in less than flattering poses.

“We even have our first victim, offered up by the lovely redhead who just came up here.”

That caused Robb and Sam to look over at their table, no doubt wondering who Sansa had just volunteered.

They soon found out as Pyp continued.

“Jon Snow. Step on up! It’s TIME!”

Jon shot a glare at Sansa, who just raised her glass in salute. Joffrey had a grin on his face that Jon wanted to smack right off. As Robb pushed him towards the stage, he took a deep breath, downed his drink, and steeled himself for battle. Jon had survived battles and the Wall. He would not be cowed by a karaoke machine.

Pyp invited him to pick his song and as Jon scrolled through the selection he found himself landing on a familiar song, one his mother used to sing to him.

‘Why not?’ he thought to himself as he showed Pyp his selection.

Jon took a seat on the single chair set up on the stage and recalled the memory of his mother’s singing. The song began and Jon let his body go to autopilot as the memories from his childhood took over.

_Come stop your crying, it will be alright - Just take my hand, hold it tight_

_I will protect you from all around you, I will be here – don’t you cry_

_For one so small you seem so strong, my arms will hold you – keep you safe and warm_

_This bond between us can’t be broken, I will be here – don’t you cry_

_‘Cause you’ll be in my heart. Yes you’ll be in my heart – from this day on, now and forever more_

_You’ll be in my heart, no matter what they say – you’ll be here in my heart, always_

The words flowed from Jon as images of his mother cradling him in his arms and the singing the same song as they rode out a snowstorm by themselves in their home. His mother had always made a point of saying that she would protect him from any storm that came their way. That memory was one of his warmest from childhood and that emotion poured into his performance as he came to the end of the song.

_I’ll be there for you always, always, and always_

_Just look over your shoulder, just look over your shoulder, just look over your shoulder – I’ll be there, always._

As Jon brought his mind to the present, he was stunned to hear the cheers coming from the crowd. His performance had been well received and he noted that Robb and Sam were standing still by the bar, with their mouths agape.

Pyp congratulated him on one of the best performances he has seen in a long time and invited him to come back later for an encore. With a shake of the head, Jon left the stage and made his way towards the bar. Gilly told them that their next round was on the house after a performance like that and as Robb and Sam teased him for hiding that talent from them, he found himself oddly at peace.

As he turned and looked over his shoulder he locked eyes with Sansa, who had a warm smile on her face and was wiping a tear from her eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics for Jon's song are not owned by me.  
> Song is - You’ll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins. Check out the video on Youtube


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet King Rhaegar for the first time and shed some light on his past and present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again, it has been a while but I hope everyone is doing ok.  
> It was a struggle to find a balance between a return to work and writing these stories but I have gotten some inspiration to push out some material once again.  
> Hope you enjoy

**Rhaegar POV**

Rhaegar felt like banging his head on the table as his Small Council argued about the latest scandal surrounding the Crown Prince.

It had been a tough few years for his monarchy, with Aegon’s and Viserys’ constant social blunders causing many to question the validity of the Crown. This, combined with a new wave of anti-monarchy sentiment that was sweeping through the younger generation, meant that he had endured many restless days and nights trying to plot a path forward for his family. A path that would keep them in a strong position and on the Throne for generations to come.

Aegon had inexplicably got himself entangled with a group in Essos that had links to the terrorist faction – the Sons of the Harpy. Aegon had attached his name to, and encouraged his followers to donate to a charity that had known links to the Harpys. He had claimed ignorance of the links but had been photographed wearing one of the infamous Harpy masks at a costume party that he had co-hosted. The fallout from that scandal had been massive and that was one of the reasons that they were now in this heated session, debating the next course of action.

Rhaegar reflected on the moment that the vultures had begun to circle the Targaryen royal family from the time that his father, Aerys, had allowed his madness to become public knowledge. Aerys had questioned the legitimacy of his own grandchildren during his annual Christmas address to the nation. He had indicated that they smelled too Dornish to be true dragons and suggested that he would elevate Viserys to his heir after Rhaegar as he had personally moulded his second son in his own image to ensure that a dragon would always be on the Throne.

Needless to say his wife, Elia Martell, and the people of Dorne, took great exception to the perceived racist insult and the aftermath of that event led to him and Elia separating for almost 2 years as he struggled to keep the peace and ended up working long hours behind the scenes to keep his father’s madness from causing more damage to the Crown.

He had told her that he could not rebuke his father publicly as it was not acceptable for a Prince to speak out against the Crown and the image it represents. He knew the excuse was a weak one but it was what had been drilled into him since he came to understand that he was part of a monarchy. He had hoped Elia would have understood his dilemma, but when it came to her children – she suffered no slights against them.

Elia had not forgiven him for not standing up to his father publicly and their marriage suffered for it. They had begun the process for divorce and officially separated in the months after his father’s infamous televised words.

Rhaegar recalled that during that separation, the struggles with his father and the distance from his kids had drained him of his joy for life. He had become melancholic after a tabloid had reported that Elia was seen revelling in the company of another man during her time in Dorne. It was a rumour that she had not bothered to deny when he had asked if it was true.

After that conversation, he had ended up taking a sabbatical in the North to visit is Great Uncle Aemon at the Wall and it was during this time that he met a wonderful woman that would reignite his fire.

A woman named Lyanna Stark.

Their relationship had been filled with passion and romance, the likes of which he had never experienced before, and during this time he also had come to appreciate the simpler life in the North. He found himself again.

During that time Rhaegar had seriously considered giving up royal life and travelling around the continent with Lyanna to share in her discoveries and enjoyment of the wonders of the natural world.

However it was not meant to be as his father had gotten himself killed on a hunting trip, throwing the realm into chaos amidst accusations by those loyal to Aerys that his death wasn’t an accident. At the same time those who opposed Aerys were going as far as suggesting that the royal family should step down to avoid future mad rulers.

Rhaegar had been forced to return home and assume the Throne, leading to a premature end to his relationship with Lyanna. She had been understanding of his plight but she had told him that she was not cut out to be a King’s wife and swore him to silence regarding their relationship. She didn’t want to be known as the King’s mistress and Rhaegar reluctantly agreed with her request. They parted with a night of passion that he had never before experienced and would live in his memory forever.

In the early months of his rule, he had managed to make peace with Elia and settle their differences, leading to a reconciliation and renewal of their vows. Their ceremony helped to humanise their monarchy and the celebrations lasted for almost a month, positioning the Crown in its most favourable light since Aerys took the throne. Elia had indicated that she knew about Lyanna but wasn’t angry about the relationship since she hadn’t exactly been living as a septa during their time apart and so they agreed to keep the past in the past and move forward as a united front to keep the Crown strong.

His son and brother, on the other hand, seemed to have no problem dragging their family name through the mud after he became King.

Amongst his many missteps, Aegon had gotten implicated in a Ponzi scheme in the Iron Islands, another get rich scheme by Euron Greyjoy that inevitably went wrong. The scheme had required its participants to make down payments towards the purchase of one-of-a-kind antique relics that eventually turned out to be pirated goods, stolen from graves and crypts around the world. Euron had taken all of the money and fled to parts unknown as prosecutors sought his arrest. The Crown had been forced to pay out large sums to clear Aegon’s name and the Prince had been forced to make a public apology and assist prosecutors in identifying Euron’s associates.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Viserys had gotten filmed in a brothel in Lys engaging in activities with 2 women who bore a striking resemblance to their sister – Daenerys. He claimed that he was set-up and that someone put his face in the images. No one had bought his excuses as he was a known supporter of Aerys’ belief in keeping the blood pure, a belief that was rebuked by everyone else in the family. Daenerys made it a point to not be in the same room as Viserys from that point onwards, much to Elia’s amusement.

The press were now having a field day with the recent exploits of Aegon, which were just another addition to the list of things that were raising his blood pressure. A condition that was not helped by his Small Council, who were now locked in a heated debate about how to turn the situation around.

“Enough gentlemen!” Rhaegar exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table.

“These debates are pointless unless we ensure that the princes actually stop getting into these messes in the first place. We cannot keep papering over the cracks each time they appear!”

“Agreed” said his Hand, Tywin Lannister “Perhaps we need to consider reducing their freedom and providing them with more structure and discipline.”

“How would we do that?” asked his Master of Coin – Mace Tyrell – father of Aegon’s wife, Margaery. “One does not simply cage a dragon.”

Mace and Tywin had been at odds ever since Margaery stole the affections of Aegon away from Tywin’s granddaughter – Myrcella Baratheon. Mace had felt that his family was now more important than Tywin’s and tried to sway deals and decisions in his favor on numerous occasions, while putting Tywin’s operations at a disadvantage.

This had led to trade war between to the 2 wealthiest regions in Westeros and had caused the food prices across the country to skyrocket, leading to unrest among the smallfolk. Rhaegar had been forced to intervene and offer the position of Hand to Tywin after his predecessor – Jon Connington, had developed a medical condition that forced him to retire. That move had caused Mace to put an end to his attacks on Tywin as he was forced to recognize that Tywin was now in a stronger position that he was. Even with that fact, Mace still took every chance that he had to remind everyone that his daughter will be Queen on day.

“Cages are not required if the two princes start to act like responsible, mature people and not like college frat boys” Tywin responded.

The 2 men glared at each other across the council table before Varys, the Crown’s Intelligence Officer, nicknamed The Spider for his ability to capture secrets in his web, made his input after being silent for most of the meeting.

“With respect my esteemed colleagues, perhaps we should simply keep a closer eye on the princes and their associates so that we can cut off potential problems before they arise. My Little Birds are always happy to assist”

Mace made to voice an objection but was silenced by the King.

“My father used to preach that a dragon is not a slave and answers to no man.” He stated before rising from his chair and moving towards the window that overlooked their private gardens.

“However, as history as shown us, if the smallfolk are sufficiently motivated then even a dragon can be taken down. We cannot keep trampling on the people’s faith and expect to remain unchallenged.” He said before turning back around to regard his Council.

“The Crown’s duty must be to the people and we cannot afford to be seen as being agents of chaos and incompetent in our affairs. We need to be transparent with our endeavours and set the standard for the public to follow.”

Mace slumped deeper into his chair, as if anticipating the King’s decision would not go in his favor.

“Aegon and Viserys will issue public apologies and be restricted to Dragonstone for the next few months, or however long these events take to blow over.” He said to the attentive faces of the Council.

“We will appoint persons to monitor and report on any and all activities that the princes want to do and I will make the final decision on whether to approve or reject the requests.” The King added as he looked into the faces of each of his council members before speaking to Varys.

“Let your Little Birds fly. I do not want any more unpleasant surprises.”

Rhaegar brought the meeting to an end at that point and was making his way to his chambers when Varys came up beside him with an envelope.

“Is there something else you needed Varys?”

Not quite my King, there has been a matter that was just brought to my attention that you need to be aware of.”

“What is it now? Has my sister made good on her threat to join the Horse Lords in Essos?” he japed.

“Not yet my King. But it seems that we have had a hit on the Blackfyre registry.” Replied Varys as he passed the envelope to Rhaegar.

“That is just bloody perfect” the King ground out as he perused the information contained in the envelope.

The Blackfyre registry was a genetic database that contained a list of persons with blood ties to the Crown, both from the Targaryen and Blackfyre lines. The Royal family, and by extension the Blackfyres, have unique genetic markers related to their Valyrian ancestry and after the emergence of secret Blackfyre descendants that incited a series of bloody rebellions over 50 years ago, it was agreed that a registry of anyone with the Valyrian blood needed to be established to identify possible threats to the Crown. It wasn’t considered completely ethical by some of his predecessors and as such the registry has been a secret passed down from the King to his heir.

With the advances made in genetics, this registry has been expanded capture results from any sample submitted to the national registry. The only region that hadn’t enrolled in the scheme was the Northern Province but now this new hit had surprisingly come from a facility in the North.

“The person is from the North? Do we know who?” Rhaegar asked Varys. 

“No Your Grace, the sample came from an anonymous donor via a clinic that is run by your great uncle – Doctor Aemon Targaryen.” The Spider replied while pointing out the specifics in the report to Rhaegar.

“The Valyrian genetic marker was flagged by our system when the sample was uploaded to the registry”

Rhaegar tried to work out how this was possible, and in the North of all places.

“The last know Blackfyre was found beyond the Wall, laying the foundation for that damn Free Folk uprising.” He mused aloud. “Perhaps, this is a descendant? Can you find out Varys?”

“I will personally follow up, Your Grace. I will have the sampled checked against the records and tested further” Varys responded.

Rhaegar gave Varys leave to uncover the truth, before retiring to his chambers and reflect on the events of the day. He found himself recalling memories of his time in the North for the first time in many years.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King receives some life changing news and plots a way forward for the family.  
> What songs do the little birds sing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for another chapter.  
> Thanks to everyone who has read and offered feedback and asked questions - You have given me food for thought and have helped me redesign a few things for this story that should make things better

Rhaegar POV

The scene unfolding at the dinner table was oddly familiar of the calm before a storm. The collective gasps that went around the table, accompanied by the clinking of cutlery being suddenly dropped onto fine china plates had been replaced with an eerie silence after Rhaegar delivered his news. A gentle squeeze of his hand by Elia’s own reminded him that he was not in a dream and was in reality staring back into the puzzled faces of his family.

It had taken 1 month for Varys to complete his investigation into the truth of the mysterious discovery, and the outcome had turned Rhaegar’s entire world on its head.

“The sample belongs to a young man of northern roots but he is most definitely not a Blackfyre” Varys had reported.

“Who is this man?” Rhaegar had enquired.

“He is your son” Varys had replied, stunning Rhaegar into silence.

Those four words had shaken Rhaegar to his core. They were words that he had never expected to hear again and they represented the impossible as far as he was concerned.

His first reaction was to brand Varys as a liar and have him tossed out of the Red Keep but he knew that Varys would not report falsehoods, given that he was the only person besides his mother and Elia that knew the truth – He was sterile.

It was a condition that he had discovered after he had become King and all of the evidence suggested that he had developed the condition prior to his separation from Elia and was the result of a the medication that he had been taking to combat his depression and elevated stress levels.

Time seemed to standstill as Rhaegar’s mind ran wild with the implications of Varys’ discovery, calculating all of the scenarios that could have led to this occurrence before coming to a stunning conclusion.

“There is no doubt Your Grace.” Varys continued, as if sensing the King needed more proof.

“Based on the man’s age, he would have been conceived during your separation from Elia when you spent time in the North. His genetic profile proves you are his father.”

“Lyanna had a son?” Rhaegar said to himself in disbelief.

“How did I not know? How did she keep this hidden?” he asked Varys.

“Lyanna named the boy Jon Snow, a common enough northern name. Also, almost no-one knew she was involved with you, so no whispers ever made it to my Little Birds of her having a son.”

“Does he know who he is?” Rhaegar asked with trepidation.

“It appears not your Grace. It seems she kept him in the dark right up to when she passed away.”

Rhaegar recalled when news of her death first reached him. He had been shocked by her passing and felt guilty for not even knowing that she was sick. Elia had helped him to grieve and make peace with her passing. She had given him the gift of joy at a time when the world seemed to want to drag him into darkness and now it seems that she had left him one last gift.

For years, he had made peace with the fact that Rhaenys and Aegon were the only children he would ever sire. Elia had made peace with that fact as well, and she was extremely supportive of his plight and helped break the news to his mother, who seemed more heart broken about the news than he was. Now, according to Varys, he had a third child. One who was a complete stranger to him and had been raised in tough conditions with none of the trappings that members of his family usually enjoyed.

Varys filled him on the rest of the information related to Jon Snow, information that he and Elia had processed together later that day.

The conversation with Elia about the discovery was a bit awkward at first, she was taken aback by the emergence of another son and had not offered much in terms of a rebuke or support. Rhaegar had expected her to unleash her Dornish temper at full blast but she had remained strangely quiet and motionless for almost an hour as she processed the information. When she spoke again all that she told him was that they needed to tell everyone and meet this boy as soon as possible. She bluntly told him that the family could not afford any more negativity after the recent events and this scenario could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back if not carefully handled.

He agreed that this was too huge of deal to keep quiet and they needed to get on top of this before the press finds out and creates another scandal. But first, he needed to tell the rest of the family and he couldn’t begin to guess how they would react, especially his mother. He could almost feel the smack upside his head he would no doubt receive for not keeping tabs on Lyanna and allowing her grandchild to grow up without knowing his family.

It taken the entire day for he and Elia to work out the logistics of bringing Jon into the fold and they ultimately tasked Varys with keeping an eye on the young man.

A family dinner was called, and Rhaegar prepared himself to deliver the news. It took him until dessert to work up the courage to address his family and, with nod of encouragement from Elia, he rose from his seat and called everyone’s attention to him.

“Thank you all for coming tonight. I know our family has had some troubled times recently and have been on different paths, so in the spirit of togetherness I arranged this dinner to share some news with everyone”

“Is Viserys taking a vow a celibacy and becoming a monk?” quipped Rhaenys, eliciting a scowl from Viserys and a gentle reminder from his mother to mind his manners.

Daenerys and Aegon chuckled at the exchange before Rhaegar cleared his throat and spoke again.

“Not today Nys. Perhaps at the next dinner.” He japed, causing Viserys to mutter some obscenities beneath his breath much to his mother’s displeasure.

“No the news is about our family and a discovery that has been made, one that has potentially huge implications for us all.” He paused for a moment before continuing.

“What do you know about the Valyrian gene?”

Daenerys spoke up, “It is a gene unique to our family and those descended from the Valyrian Empire of ancient times.”

“That’s correct Dany. It is unique to us and also to the Blackfyres and with it we can identify anyone who shares our blood.” Rhaegar stated, and waited for someone to connect the dots, which his mother promptly did.

“Has someone new been found? Another Blackfyre?” she asked.

“Yes and no mother. We have recently discovered someone in the North but they are not a Blackfyre” he stated

“This person is related to us” he added.

“How?” Aegon asked, casting a look at Viserys, whose love of the ladies was well known.

“It’s not mine, whoever this person is. So don’t look at me” said a defensive Viserys.

With deep exhale and another nod from Elia, Rhaegar delivered the bombshell to the family.

“He is mine” he said simply.

That had led to the current situation where silence ruled the dining room.

The intimate setting allowed everyone to fit around a relatively small table compared to the usual long table in the main dining hall, but at the moment it seemed like there was a massive chasm in the middle of the room.

Eventually, the calm was broken.

His mother shot up from her chair and fixed him with a look that promised multiple smacks later.

“What?” she exclaimed.

“Who is this person? Where is he? Why are we only now finding out?” she queried, each question followed the next rapidly before Rhaegar could respond.

He waited for his mother to pause and take a breath before he responded

“His name is Jon and he lives in the North. His mother was from the North.” He said.

“In fact it turns that he actually works with Aemon up at the Wall. I asked Aemon to send us some more information about him.”

“North?” a puzzled Daenerys asked. “When did you get involved with a woman from the North?”

Before he could respond, Rhaella let out a small gasp. She was only other person in the room who knew the truth about his time in the North during his separation from Elia and had undoubtedly figured out the answer.

“Lyanna Stark had a son?” she asked, eliciting more puzzled expressions from the younger Targaryens at the table.

“Yes, and as fate would have it, Daenerys has already met him.”

“She has?” asked a pensive Rhaenys. Aegon and Viserys had gone completely silent as they stared at Rhaegar.

“Yes she has.” interjected Elia.

“He was the soldier who rescued you in Meereen and carried you to safety. It seems that the fates conspired to have your kin come to your rescue in that dire situation.” She added, allowing that piece of information to sink in for everyone.

After a momentary bout of silence, the conversation started again.

“Does he know who he is?” asked Rhaella.

Rhaegar shook his head in response.

“We are planning to invite him down for Dany’s birthday celebration and tell him the truth, before the press gets hold of the story.” He stated.

This was the plan that he and Elia had agreed would probably be the easiest one to carry out given that Jon and Dany already know each other and still kept in touch. He was hopeful that by using Dany as an intermediate that the actual conversation would not be as traumatic as he expected it to be.

“We need to prepare him for the future. From what we know, his life hasn’t been easy, especially after his mother fell ill while he was in high school.” Rhaegar added.

“What else do we know about him?” Rhaenys asked. There was a curious joyful undertone in her words when she spoke, as if she was relishing the prospect of having an addition to the family.

“He seems to have a good head on his shoulders and is very down to earth. He is fiercely protective of his loved ones.” Rhaegar said, recalling the information that Varys brought to him shortly before the start of the dinner.

“He has recently help set up an orphanage for Free Folk children who lost their families in the uprisings a few years ago, earning himself great respect from the same people he fought against.”

“It would seem that a hidden gem has been found in the North” Viserys mused.

“We should put him to work and use his good-guy image to get the people off our backs” he added with a scoff after taking a sip of his wine.

“He is not coming to salvage our reputation…a reputation that some people at this table have tarnished. He is coming to meet his family.” Said an incredulous Rhaegar as he glared at Viserys

“Are you going to legitimise him?” asked Aegon, no doubt realizing the implication of another son of the King with such a positive image coming into the picture.

“Not unless I have to.” He replied, pausing for a moment to let the implication sink in.

“His mother didn’t want any part of the life as a Royal and undoubtedly kept him hidden for that same reason, so I will try to respect her wishes. He will only be brought into the fold if it cannot be helped”

Aegon let out a small exhale at his father’s answer. The release of some of his tension was noticeable to all at the dinner table.

“Dany, can you help me break the news to him? I have a feeling that a friendly face will make things go better.”

“Certainly. He’s not normally the chatty type and it takes a while to get him to open up to strangers. He may not even believe so we need to keep the setting as relaxed as possible.” she replied.

“That’s good. Perhaps you can send the invitation yourself. He would probably be more inclined to accept it from you rather than a stranger.” Dany nodded in agreement.

The conversation flowed more smoothly after the initial announcement and surprisingly everyone was curious about Jon, whether that was a good thing would remain to be seen.

Even Aegon and Viserys seemed to be eager for any piece of information that was available on him. They were more notably more subdued in their contributions to the conversation, but it was clear that everyone generally had a positive reaction to the news, at least outwardly.

The dinner concluded with everyone promising to keep Jon’s existence a secret and help him fit in with the family while he is in the South. Viserys had jokingly offered to set Jon up with one of his lady friends and was promptly smacked upside the head by Rhaella to everyone’s amusement.

The arrival of Jon and his possible addition to the Royal Family already promised to introduce a new dynamic that could change the course of the monarchy in the coming months. Rhaegar hoped that his son would accept them and take his place among them.

‘Maybe we need a wolf to keep the vultures away’ he thought to himself as he made his way to his chambers to settle in for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time - we visit with Jon and once again find out that plans don't always work out as they are intended.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon gets some unexpected news and an unexpected invitation.  
> A trip to the capital doesn't quite work out as expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone.  
> Its been a while but here we go again.  
> Real life stuff keeps interrupting my flow but I will survive.

** JON POV **

“Valyrian? Are you sure Sam?”

Jon and Sam were in his living room discussing the results of Jon’s genetic profile test. He had found Sam waiting for him in his driveway and had initially thought that Sam was in some sort of trouble given the way that he was pacing back and forth.

It turned out that Sam had gone into full nerd mode once the results of the test were sent to him. The last thing Sam and Doctor Aemon had expected was for Jon’s sample to return such an unusual result for a Northerner.

“Yes Jon. There is no doubt about it. Your test results not only show that you are descended from the First Men, but that you also have Valyrian ancestry as well.” Replied an almost giddy Sam.

Sam was no doubt excited because there had never been any documented proof that Valyrians and Northmen had ever mixed before, and now Jon’s test results provided conclusive proof that there had been some sort of mixing. None of the other samples that Sam had collected, including Sansa’s, had shown any traces of Valyrian ancestry, making Jon’s case a unique and fascinating discovery.

“I guess that’s interesting…” Jon replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Sam gave him a look of incredulity and huffed in frustration at Jon’s lack of enthusiasm.

“Although I’m not sure how I could have this trait given that I have no Valyrian traits that are usual in persons with that ancestry.”

An image of himself with silver hair popped into his head for a brief moment and for some reason it gave him a bit of a shock before he managed to recover his wits.

Jon had always assumed that his father was from the North and never gave it much thought while he was growing up. He had never been that curious about his birth father before his mother had passed and consequently he had never bothered to search for the man.

On her deathbed, his mother had asked if he wanted to know the identity of his father but Jon had been too distraught to care about that information. She had left a letter with the details about his father amongst her belongings which had passed to him after her burial but he had never opened it.

Ned Stark had indicated that when he was ready to know the truth, he would be there to help him understand how his parents came together and why the man had been absent his whole life. He recalled the tears of joy that Ned had shed when he had shrugged and said the Ned was the only father he would ever need and a few words on a sheet of paper would never change that.

“Perhaps you got it from your father?” Sam queried. “Did you ever find out who he was?”

Jon shook his head and sat back in his chair, flicking through the various pieces of mail that had been delivered that day.

“I never gave it much thought before today, but I supposed the Valyrian bit could be from him.” Jon replied.

He was going to say more but his thoughts were interrupted as he came across a fancy looking envelope affixed with the Royal Seal. It bore no postage marks, so it had to have been hand delivered. Sam’s attention was also caught by the envelope and his eyebrows shot up in surprise as he regarded the seal on the envelope.

“That looks like a Royal invitation. My father received them a few times in the past. I didn’t realize that you knew anyone in the Royal family” he stated with furrowed brow.

Apart from the Starks, no-one knew that he and Princess Daenerys were on friendly terms and occasionally conversed on a private line. He had received an encrypted phone at Daenerys’ insistence so that they could contact each other after that fateful day in Meereen. She had insisted that she owed him a life debt and went out of her way to keep in touch, even helping him generate ideas on how to help the people in need beyond the Wall. She had sent invites to other events in the capital in previous years, but Jon had always politely refused. His experiences in the South were not amongst his fondest memories.

As Jon opened the envelope, it was no surprise to him when he saw the familiar handwriting of the Princess, extending a personal invitation to her birthday celebration.

“Looks like I have been invited to a birthday party in the capital.” Jon said as he tucked the invite back into the envelope.

The timing of the invite was fortunate as he would have been in the capital at the time of Daenerys’ birthday as he was personally overseeing the transfer of some artefacts from the Wall to the museum in the Red Keep, at Aemon’s request.

“What do you give Princess for her birthday anyway?” he mused.

“The Citadel just released a limited-edition book about the history of the Seven Kingdoms. Perhaps you could give her a copy?” Sam replied, earning a chuckle from Jon.

Leave it to Sam to suggest gifting a thousand-page retelling of the exploits of Daenerys’ family as an option.

“Sure, as soon as you ask Gilly out on a date.” Sam turned a bright shade of red at the mention of Gilly, making Jon laugh out loud at his friend’s dilemma.

As Jon ran his hand through his hair he realized that he would probably need to visit a barber to make himself more presentable and he would definitely need to call Sansa to get help with his wardrobe selection. He could almost picture her horrified expression in his head when he tells her that he doesn’t actually own a suit.

** *2 weeks later* **

It was the night of the party and Jon found himself unusually nervous as he made his way up Dragonstone’s famous winding staircase. A pleasant breeze rolled in from the ocean and helped calm his nerves. There was something oddly comforting about the island and it gave him a homey feeling that he couldn’t explain. He shook his head to focus his wandering mind as he approached the entrance to the castle and the security guards that were no doubt checking persons before they entered.

“Name?” a gruff sounding guard asked him as he eyed him from head to toe.

“Jon Snow” he replied, already getting annoyed with the guard’s look of scorn.

“Snow?” the guard queried.

“What are you doing here? You are a bit far from home aren’t you?” The man didn’t even bother to check the guest list on his tablet.

“What is your business here?” he added.

“I was invited” he huffed, as he reached for the invite from his jacket’s interior pocket.

The guard read the invitation and squinted at Jon.

“Clearly this is a forgery. There is no way Princess Daenerys would have dealings with you people.” The guard stated flippantly.

“You…people?” Jon asked. He could feel his temper starting to fray as he glared at the guard.

“Do you care to clarify that statement?”

Other people were approaching from behind Jon and he saw how the guard looked past him to take in the newcomers, disregarding Jon’s question.

“You need to leave since you are clearly lost. There is no ale at this party. This is a classy event” the guard stated, his prejudice clear for all to see.

Jon was considering making a scene, but he held his tongue as he took back the invite. The guard’s attitude was not a one-off experience for Jon. He had experienced the prejudice against the North that was prevalent amongst the upper-class in the capital on multiple occasions in the past.

His earliest experience was when his mother had spent some time in a treatment facility in the South after Doctor Aemon had used some of his connections to get them a consultation with a specialist. The receptionist at the clinic had regarded them with suspicion until they mentioned that they were sent by Doctor Aemon. The persons at the clinic treated them like royalty after that.

The other notable encounter that he had was shortly after he had completed his discharge from the army – he and the other members of his unit had gone into the city to celebrate but they quickly found themselves being shadowed by the city’s gold-cloak security personnel. The gold-cloaks had eventually approached them, undoubtedly with the intention of accosting them, and the ensuing tension of that moment was only defused when one of the gold-cloaks recognised Jon from the press coverage that he had received after rescuing Princess Daenerys.

Now, all these years later, Jon was faced with the same scorn aimed at persons who the upper-class considered beneath their station. He had been treated with disdain by a few people once they found out his surname and where he was from, and the guard’s current attitude was no different than what he had experienced. He had expected that people associated with the Royal family would not be so prejudiced, but he had been proved mistaken in his beliefs.

With a sigh, Jon forced himself to calm down and looked straight at the guard.

“Perhaps you are right, my good man.” Jon said as he tucked the invitation back into his pocket and straightened his jacket.

“People like me certainly shouldn’t mix with your type of people.” The guard looked at him with a puzzled expression as he waved a couple past them and into the castle, not even bothering to ask for their names.

“The rotten air in this place might make me lose my appetite and leave me unable to enjoy my ale.” Jon stated as he turned around and made his exit, leaving a sputtering guard behind him, neither of them noticing a Little Bird observing everything from the shadows.

As he made his way back to his hotel room, he found himself looking forward to leaving the capital and returning to his nice, peaceful life in the North. He had considered sending a message to Daenerys, but he decided against it as he removed his suit and settled down on his bed. He would call her tomorrow before he left for the North and arrange for her gift to be delivered at a later date.

The next day, as he was checking out of the hotel, he noticed a limousine parked outside and the same guard from last night was standing inside the lobby next to bald headed man. Both were looking straight at him. The guard was unusually pale and had a fearful expression on his face, which Jon thought was weird but at the same time he did not want to waste his mental energy thinking about anything to do with that guard. He was heading to the airport and away from this city filled with unpleasant smells and equally unpleasant people and back home to a platter full of lemon cakes that Sansa had promised to make for him. She had been incredulous as he recounted his night and seemed to be more agitated about the ordeal than him. He had ended up being the one that needed to calm her down as she ranted about the whole thing.

As he made his way outside to get a taxi, the bald man stepped in front of him.

“A moment of your time Mr. Snow?” Jon looked at the men in front of him. The guard was looking anywhere but at Jon and the bald man was looking at Jon with a bemused look on his face. Jon nodded and followed the men to the waiting limo.

“What do you want mister…?” Jon asked as he stopped a few yards from the limo. He was on a tight schedule and had no time for games.

“Varys” replied the bald man. “You can call me Varys, can I call you Jon?”

“Sure Varys. My question still remains. What do you want? I have a plane to catch”

“First let me apologize for the mix-up last night. The Royal family was deeply embarrassed by what happened and want to make it up to you. Can we offer you a lift?”

A free limo ride was an attractive prospect for Jon, especially with no taxis immediately available, and so he agreed to accept the lift. Varys motioned for the pale faced guard to take Jon’s bags to the limo, before opening the door for Jon to get inside.

The last thing he expected to find inside was 2 Princesses on the seat opposite to his as Varys slid in next to him. Jon wasn’t sure if he should be flattered or suspicious.

“Hello Jon” said Princess Daenerys. “It has been a while since we have seen each other so I thought I would drop by since we didn’t get to cross paths at my party. This is my niece, Princess Rhaenys. She wanted to meet you after what happened last night.”

“Greetings Princess” he said to each lady with a bow of the head.

Jon was curious as to why 2 members of the royal family would choose to accompany him on a ride to the airport and, as if sensing his thoughts, Daenerys spoke again.

“We are so sorry about last night Jon. The guard has been thoroughly rebuked and demoted for his behavior. His thoughts do not represent our family’s beliefs.” She said.

“I was actually looking forward to introducing you to the family so that they could meet my hero.”

Rhaenys was looking intently at Jon and seemed to want to say something before Daenerys continued.

“Can we take you to lunch to make up for last night?”

Jon was surprised at the offer and was sorely tempted but he knew that he was on a tight schedule.

“I am not sure I can, my plane leaves in a couple of hours”

Rhaenys jumped in at that point. “That’s ok Jon. We can help you with that. We really want to treat you to lunch” she said, before looking Varys. Varys nodded and fired off some messages on his phone.

“I guess I could get a later flight if there is space.” He pondered out loud.

“Done” was all Varys said before Jon received an alert on his own phone. It was a notification from the airline saying that he had been rebooked on a later flight and upgraded to first class.

“How did you do that?” he asked Varys. It was Daenerys that responded.

“Varys has his ways, plus we really want to take you to lunch” she stated as the car came to a stop.

“We are here” said an excited Rhaenys, as a different guard opened the door for them. They were definitely not at the airport or any restaurant in the city and Jon was a bit puzzled.

“Where is here? Have I been kidnapped?” he japed as he exited the vehicle and took note of the spacious and well maintained garden surrounding them.

Rhaenys shot him a cheeky grin. “Perhaps” was all she said as Daenerys took his arm and guided to a gazebo, where a tantalizing spread had been laid out. Jon was so caught up in the set-up that he hadn’t noticed a solitary figure seated at the table until Rhaenys made her way to the man and embraced him.

“Hello father, we found Jon. We had to kidnap him so he may be a bit skittish now.”

The King chuckled and regarded Jon with that piercing violet gaze that had become his trademark.

Suddenly Jon was feeling a bit undressed and was mentally chiding himself for not following Sansa’s advice about dressing to impress at all times as he now found himself standing before the King of Westeros wearing slacks and a black polo shirt.

“Crap” he muttered to himself, as he made to bow before the King.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon learns something about the King and about himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where has the time gone? We were just preparing for Christmas and now its soon time for Valentine's day!  
> Hope everyone is ok.  
> I will do a double upload today so here is the first chapter.  
> Enjoy!

** RHAEGAR POV **

“No need for that Jon” Rhaegar said, as he laid eyes on his son for the first time.

The young man before him looked so much like Lyanna, that the truth of his parentage was undeniable. His hair was curly just like Rhaenys and his facial structure screamed Targaryen, apart from the trademark Stark long face and grey eyes which, given how dark the color was, he was certain that there was an indigo shade laying beneath the grey.

“As I am sure you have been told, we want to make up for the unfortunate events of last night. Such displays of prejudice has no place in civilized society” he said as he motioned for everyone to take a seat.

“Think nothing of it Your Grace. Last night was not the first time that I have encountered that behaviour and it probably won’t be the last” Jon replied in a matter of fact tone.

Rhaegar noted the concerned expressions on Daenerys’ and Rhaenys’ faces as Jon finished his reply. He too was taken aback by the manner in which Jon spoke, it was as if this was normal behaviour and he did indeed expect it to continue.

From Varys’ reports he knew Jon had a tough upbringing but he hadn’t realized that dealing with discrimination because of his name was a normal part of his life. He had tried to eliminate such blatant prejudice during his reign, but it would seem that given the behaviour of his own staff, that he still had a lot of work to do.

He had arranged the seating so that he was sitting directly opposite Jon. He wanted to observe this remarkable young man that shared his blood. A man who had to fight to accomplish everything he had achieved in his life and yet still maintained a level of integrity and affability that was rare for people his age.

All of the information that Varys had provided him, including his military service records, painted a picture of a person who inspired loyalty in his peers and earned the respect of his opponents for the way he conducted himself. That spoke volumes about the man and it would serve him well in the future once the truth was revealed. He and Elia were convinced that Jon was well equipped to withstand the undoubted pressure that would come from him becoming a member of the royal family and they quietly hoped that perhaps some of his personality traits would rub off on Aegon and Viserys.

He had been ready to write up the decree of legitimization last night when they found out why Jon wasn’t in attendance at the party, just to protect Jon from future repeats of that situation but he had been persuaded to talk with Jon first to find out if it was something that he actually wanted.

He had prepared everything to meet with Jon in his solar, with Daenerys and Rhaenys there for support when Varys had brought him the report of the incident with Jon. He had been incensed at the guard’s behaviour and discreetly tried to get Jon to return, but his son had disappeared before anyone could find him. Elia and the rest of the family had found him pacing in his solar after the party, no doubt looking for an update on how the meeting with Jon had gone.

When he told everyone what had happened, the looks of disbelief on their faces had been replaced with anger, especially from Elia and his mother. The unfortunate guard was given a tongue lashing by his wife and mother, with Daenerys and Rhaenys also unleashing the dragon on the man for his reprehensible behaviour. The man had been reduced to tears in the face of that tirade and Rhaegar thought darkly, that it was fortunate for the man that his family no longer had living dragons otherwise he would have met a different fate.

Rhaegar took another moment to regard Jon as the staff served the food. He couldn’t believe that he had another son. One whose actions and deeds were more in line with what was expected from a prince, than those performed by his own brother and his eldest son. He found himself chuckling as Jon and Daenerys had adopted matching scowls on their faces as bowls of broccoli soup were placed in front of them. The younger Targaryen’s dislike for green food was clearly evident in Jon and as he glanced at Rhaenys, she too had the same scowl on her face. Jon had politely slid his bowl away from him and took a piece of bread instead as he waited for the next course.

“I never got a chance to thank you for saving Daenerys in Meereen.” Rhaegar said, breaking the brief silence that had settled around the table.

“I heard that your commanders had wanted to adopt a different strategy, but you chose to ignore them and ultimately saved my sister” he said to Jon.

Daenerys shot him a puzzled look. He had forgotten that she was never told about the how Jon had actually conducted the rescue mission without approval from his command as they had wanted to wait out the enemy combatants and overwhelm them with a simple show of superior weaponry. Rhaegar had been eternally grateful to Jon’s unit for taking a more direct approach, as the after-action reports had indicated that the rebels had come dangerously close to getting Daenerys and would have undoubtedly made an example of her if they didn’t get their way.

“No need, your Grace. It was the right thing to do” Jon said while looking at Daenerys, who was now offering Jon a small smile.

“My mother taught me that we should always do the right thing, no matter the cost.”

That statement forced Rhaegar to take a deep breath as he recalled a warm memory of Lyanna, while the staff brought out the main course.

“Was it just you and your mother growing up?” Rhaenys asked, trying to keep the conversation flowing.

“Yes, she raised me on her own. In many ways she was both a mother and a father” Jon replied with a smile on his face, not noticing the slight grimace on Rhaegar’s face.

“She taught me so many things, even how to shave” he added with a chuckle.

“She sounds like an amazing person.” Daenerys said, in a subdued tone.

“She was. Even when she got sick, she never wanted people to treat her differently. One time she got out of her sick bed to smack my uncle around the head when tried to wrap her up in a blanket like a babe” That imagery brought a small laugh from the table.

The meal went along smoothly after that, with Rhaegar doing his best to make Jon feel at ease amongst his family. A family that he didn’t even know that he had. They talked a bit about their upbringing and hobbies and Rhaegar noted that Jon’s outlook on life was much brighter than he had expected for having been raised with all of the hardships that he had faced.

As they finished up their deserts, happily discovering that both Jon and Rhaenys had a massive sweet tooth, Rhaegar motioned for the staff to clear out as he placed an envelope down onto the table.

“I have a confession to make Jon” he said, capturing Jon’s attention.

“I knew your mother many years ago. She played an important role in my life during a dark time for my family.”

Jon was stunned by his declaration, but his look begged him to elaborate.

“I met your mother while I was spending time in White Harbour. I had separated from Elia and was dealing with my father’s issues, so I took some time away from the capital and the Crown to get my mind right and it was during that time that we met.”

“Ok?” Jon said, clearly confused by this impromptu stroll down memory lane.

“We became friends as she helped me recover my joy for life” Rhaegar continued. Daenerys and Rhaenys were also paying rapt attention, as they had never heard the story before.

“As time went on the friendship evolved into something more and we became happy in the little bubble that we had created.” He took another deep breath while running his fingers across the unmarked envelope that he had placed on the table.

“She taught me many things about the North. Things that you can’t learn from lessons in classroom and for a while I actually felt like I could make a home there.”

“You….and my mother? Together?” Jon asked in bemusement.

“She never said anything.” he added before slumping back into his chair.

“When did you meet? I don’t remember seeing you around.” He asked.

“That is true. You would not have seen me when you were young. Your mother and I parted ways less than a year before you were born” replied Rhaegar.

Rhaegar saw the moment that the realization hit Jon, as he stared back at him with an open mouth. Jon then looked at Rhaenys and Dany, who gave him a slight nod.

“You…You are…” Jon began but couldn’t seem to form the words.

“Yes Jon” Rhaegar said.

“I am your father”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon comes to grip with a new reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second chapter for the day.   
> This one is a bit shorter than normal but it still serves a purpose.  
> Enjoy!

**JON POV**

“Are you sure?” Jon asked. His mind was screaming at him to leave, screaming that the words he had just heard were a lie, but his heart told him that he needed to make certain one way or another.

The King, his supposed father, handed him an envelope and asked him to read the contents. The envelope itself was fairly innocuous but the contents seemed to have a gravity of their own and drew Jon towards it as if he had been placed under a spell. Jon broke the seal on the envelope and slid the contents out. An action that he had done many times in the past with different pieces of mail. This time the action seemed foreign to him and the words on the page took a moment to register.

The documents turned out to be the results of a paternity test. It was concrete proof of the King’s words. Jon raised his head up from the position he had adopted while reading the contents of the envelope.

The people seated around him were his family. The genetic test that he had done had been flagged in a family database belonging to the royal family and that led to this familial link being discovered.

He slid the papers back into the envelope before closing his eyes, trying to focus his thoughts, trying to figure what was actually happening. This whole thing had to have been a set up, but to what end?

“What am I supposed to do with this information? What do you want?” he asked his father.

“Today? Nothing. But I hope that going forward we can get to know each other.” Rhaegar replied.

Instinctively an image of Sansa flashed into his head at that moment. Her anti-monarchy campaign just took on another facet for him, considering he was now tied to that same monarchy. Then his mind flashed to Doctor Aemon at the Wall, he was related to the man that gave him so much good advice over the years and acted almost like a grandfather. Their next conversation promised to be an interesting one.

It was Rhaenys who spoke next after a momentary silence had again settled around the table.

“This may seem like madness Jon, but perhaps it is a blessing. You may not have our name, but you have our blood. You are family regardless of what happens after today”

Jon regarded the princess, his sister now, and gave her a small smile.

“Is there anything that you would like to know?” asked Rhaegar.

The man had a hopeful look on his face, but Jon was a bit too overwhelmed to think straight. He now understood why his mother never told him who his father was. The truth was too explosive to have been revealed to a child. He was a secret that could have been used to harm the Crown if the wrong person had found out. He could have been harmed to get at the Crown. All of the Royal family’s enemies just became his enemies. All of their liabilities and strengths just became his. This was starting to feel too much like the moments before a battle and this time there was no clear opposition to take out.

“How long have you known about me?” Jon asked, breaking the silence at the table.

“I only found out about you recently” replied Rhaegar.

“Your mother and I parted ways and we were unable to stay in touch. She didn’t want to be a King’s mistress or be confined by what she used to call Southern poli-tricks.” He added.

“We parted on good terms, but the weeks turned into months and months turned into years as I tried to restore the monarchy to a position of strength after the damage done by my father. It is to my shame that I never knew that she was sick until I got news of her passing”.

Jon pondered on Rhaegar’s words. He had no reason to doubt them but a tiny voice kept whispering that if this man’s relationship with his mother was so wonderful then why did he not know that she had a son. If Sam had never done that genetics project then Jon would still be an unknown quantity.

He chose to ignore that voice…for now.

Jon took a deep breath before speaking again.

“It’s all a bit too much right now….Can I contact you again after I get home?” he replied.

His mind was now going a million miles an hour trying to make sense of these events.

Rhaegar nodded. “I believe you already have Daenerys’ number.”

Jon chuckled at that comment.

“Do you need to tell people about me, or will this remain a secret?”

“For now, you can remain anonymous. The Crown’s annual trip to the North is coming up so we can meet up again and spend time with everyone. We can talk over the phone until then” replied Rhaegar

Jon and his new family exchanged some more stories as the time of his flight drew near. He found that while Rhaegar was a bit hesitant during their conversations, Rhaenys was more open and, with Daenerys’ taking control and prompting everyone, he noted that their conversation flowed fairly smoothly. As Jon said his farewells, he was pleasantly surprised to receive hugs from the girls and a warm handshake from Rhaegar as he made his way to the car that had been called for him.

The first class flight home was excellent and Jon found himself thinking that economy class was now ruined for him. He made a mental list on who he needed to talk to when he got back home and Ned Stark was at the top of that list. He found himself going through some news stories about the Royal Family and found himself cringing when he read about some of the exploits of Viserys and Aegon, his new uncle and brother.

As the flight made its final approach to its final destination, his thoughts turned to the conversation he had with Sam on the day he had received the invitation to Daenerys’ party. He finally had an answer to where his Valyrian roots came from and yet he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad thing. Only time will tell.


End file.
